There are a number of prior art beds, pillows, cushioning devices and platforms for supporting the head and body of a person for various therapeutic and recreational purposes. Some examples of such prior art devices are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 1,171,713 4,752,064 Des. 271,834 2,579,783 4,757,983 Des. 277,059 2,926,660 4,881,728 Des. 298,992 3,808,615 5,177,823 Des. 309,542 4,333,638 5,269,035 Des. 337,914 ______________________________________
The prior art devices disclosed in the above-listed patents have a number of drawbacks and disadvantages that render their use less than optimum. In particular, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,579,783; 4,333,634 and 4,881,728 disclose foldable and portable therapeutic devices for supporting the body and head of a person. Those prior art devices are relatively complex, heavy and cumbersome and have a number of rigid foldable and pivotable members which can subject the user to injury from pinching, from sharp corners and the like.
A number of the prior art head cushions or pillows disclosed in the aforementioned patents are relatively complex molded shapes requiring special molds and tooling for fabricating the cushions. In some cases, such cushions are not universally sized so that they can accommodate users of all body sizes. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,752,064; 4,757,983; 5,269,035; D271,834; D277,059; D298,992 and D337,914 are representative of such specially made or molded head cushions or pillows.
A further drawback of the aforementioned prior art devices is the lack of readily washable, hygienic coverings for the head and body cushions. The prior art body support cushions made of uncovered closed or open-cell flexible foams are not particularly hygienic, especially in applications where there may be significant body perspiration, such as exercise and recreational applications.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a portable lightweight, hygienic body support platform which may be quickly and safely assembled for use on any planar surface, such as the ground, a floor, table, or bed.